robbt
Member
howdy, what sixguns did the louisiana state police issue
during the glory days of sixguns
during the glory days of sixguns
louisiana state police issue
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Not sure about the state police, but here is one from Shreveport, a Model 66, s/n 4K51xxx issued by the Shreveport PD sometime in 1973. Sold on the surplus market in March 1977. It sold used for $210, and according to the reseller, the Model 66 was available "in quantities" that year. They were expecting another 5~600 in the following months.
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I can answer this. I was a young policeman for SPD ( the other one, Sulphur P.D ). At that time LSP issued either a 4" or 6" 66 ( Trooper's choice ) as well as a 2.5" 66. They also issued , believe it or not , a High Standard 22 Magnum , over and under derringer.
The time I was referring to was early 80s. I started in 1983.
Yes , I believe they were.
So one police department in Louisiana was buying the Model 66, while another one was having a practical fire sale on theirs... LOL. I wonder what Shreveport replaced them with!
This was only 83. Revolvers still ruled. The L Frames were coming out and many people wanted a 586 or 686. Autos didn't really catch on until the late 80s and early 90s. My first was a 66. Young guys that lived at home with rich parents or were married to a woman with a good job had Pythons.
I know revolvers were a standard issue at the time, which is what makes me wonder why the Shreveport PD, and apparently other departments, were getting rid of perfectly good ones, and hundreds at a time. Aaaanyway, thanks for the information!
charlie sherrill
Member
I've got one of the 3" model 65 BRPD revolvers. One of my favorites. I carried it mowing my grass yesterday. I have two Ithaca 37 riot guns marked LSP. I was told these were originally carried by Louisiana State Police and later transferred to the prison system. Mine are from Angola. Two more Louisiana marked guns I have are a Glock 22 40 cal. engraved (not laser) on the slide New Orleans Police Dept. with their crescent moon and star badge and a EBRPSO (East Baton Rouge Parish SO) model 64 bull barrel. The NOPD Glock has an unusual serial number that Begins with NO, four numbers, and ends in PD. I live and retired from law enforcement in Mississippi but have only one gun with Mississippi law enforcement markings. It is a Ithaca model 37 marked "HPD" (Hattiesburg), one of the two departments I retired from.
SGT ROCK 11B
Member
When the 586 and 686 (don't forget the 581 / 681) in 1981 they made all the K Frames obsolete. We still issued the 15 but savvy gun enthusiasts got a L Frame. At that time it was "S&W Perfection".
I am actually old enough to remember that, even though my pockets were not deep enough to just run out and buy one (or two,
) at the time.The reason why I ask is because my Model 66 was apparently retired and sold on the surplus market along with hundreds of others, in 1977, several years before the L-Frame became available. With all the interest in PD stamped guns, I would think someone would know the reason why.
See date on the receipt:
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SGT ROCK 11B
Member
I am actually old enough to remember that, even though my pockets were not deep enough to just run out and buy one (or two,
The reason why I ask is because my Model 66 was apparently retired and sold on the surplus market along with hundreds of others, in 1977, several years before the L-Frame became available. With all the interest in PD stamped guns, I would think someone would know the reason why.
See date on the receipt:
When the 66 came out in 1971 the problem was Revolver-Smiths could not achieve the trigger jobs like they done on the blue guns. I was a LEO then and the thought around the locker room was the stainless steel revolvers were faulty and blue or nickle was dependable.
I remember my father and some of his friends having discussions about stainless v. carbon steel guns, and I know for a while there were issues with machining, and faulty stainless guns being returned. Nevertherless, if there was a reason why a big city police department retired so many Model 66 revolvers, I would like to know the story. The receipt implies they were available in the hundreds (!)
$210 in 1977 is over $1000 today, so it would not have been a cheap surplus buy.
SGT ROCK 11B
Member
The story is a Chief got a kickback.
The PD I worked for kept the same issued revolvers for 30+ years. (we had Victory Models in the Armory until the 1980s) But other Departments changed them frequently because they could. Their were Departments who issued the Colt Pythons. How could they justify that?
We still see it today. Glock released the Gen 5 pistols five years ago and they are available as Police Surplus now. Departments got rid of 9mm for .40 S&W and now they are going back to 9mm.
TxShooter
Member
LSP issued a 4" 66/2 1/2" 66 combo in the late '70s that became a 4" 686/2 1/2" 66 in the '80s. The pilot program of personal purchase semiautos turned into a choice of a SIG P220 .45 or P228 9mm.
Re: the trade-in 66s, a friend worked for the Madison Heights, Michigan PD in the '70s. He said that used 66s were in such high demand that a distributor offered them a sweetheart deal on trading their old ones for brand new. That became a problem when they shipped off the old guns and there was a delay in receiving the new ones, so they had to borrow 4" 28s and holsters from s neighboring town.
Re: the trade-in 66s, a friend worked for the Madison Heights, Michigan PD in the '70s. He said that used 66s were in such high demand that a distributor offered them a sweetheart deal on trading their old ones for brand new. That became a problem when they shipped off the old guns and there was a delay in receiving the new ones, so they had to borrow 4" 28s and holsters from s neighboring town.
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.357magger
Member
I was an officer in the suburbs of New Orleans from 1981 till 1994. Nobody "issued" us our duty revolvers, they where personally acquired and paid for. And yep, the reputation was that you couldn't tune the triggers as well on a stainless gun as on a blued. That's why my duty 66 No Dash was set up as shown below.
Over time I think that rumor has been proven untrue imo, as I also owned and carried a 66-2 6" that was pretty accurate. But with that being said, this 4" is still the most accurate revolver I've ever owned. I purchased it from a Captain who had it set up by one of the department armorers. It is capable of phenomenal performance.
Now if I only had my 21 year old eyes back.
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